Photo tour: The glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills

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The corner of N. Beverly Drive and Elevado in Beverly Hills is just down the street from the fabled Beverly Hills Hotel, and is a popular tourist spot for seeing giant mansions and oversize palm trees. Join USA TODAY for a photo tour of the city with the 90210 zip code, home to the wealthiest of wealthy and ritzy Rodeo Drive.
Jefferson Graham

The historic Union 76 gas station is at the corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard, and according to Los Angeles Conservancy, is "a true icon of Mid-Century Modernism." It was completed in 1965.
Jefferson Graham

The BOLD nights on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, where in August on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, tores stay open later, restaurants offer specials and streets are often closed to vehicles.
Ruth Stroud

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — There are actual hills here, but let's face it, most tourists never go near them.

The action is in the flats, in the heart of the downtown and the world-renowned Rodeo Drive, home to some of the ritziest, glitziest and most expensive stores in the world, with names like Cartier, Vera Wang and Rolex.

During August, Beverly Hills is turning its downtown into a party. It's highly unlikely you'll see movie stars, but you will find street festivals, live music, art and other festivities on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It's called BOLD, which stands for Beverly Hills Open Late Days.

The event kicked off last week with a street festival, complete with a fireworks display over the Prada store on Rodeo, and will conclude with another street fest on August 25, when most of the downtown streets will be pedestrian only. This weekend, Beverly Hills will feature a Selfie station, an art walk on Friday and live music for all three nights.

Ask Julian Gold, the mayor of Beverly Hills, about what to do in Beverly Hills, and naturally shopping tops his list. "There is a snobbery about buying something on Rodeo Drive," he says. "You could buy it on the Internet, but it's not the same. As a tourist, if I go somewhere, I like to bring something back that says I was there. And when you say you bought it on Rodeo Drive, it means something."

James Anderton, the owner of the West store in Beverly Hills, displaying a $20 trinket partially made from horse hair.(Photo: Jefferson Graham)

Gold insists that going out to lunch and dinner won't cost you any more in Beverly Hills than elsewhere. James Anderton who runs the West store of cowboy and cowgirl type western fare, admits that he has high end buckles, boots and leather selling for as much as $20,000. "But we also have bracelets for $20," he says.

Still, after the sales job, the mayor admits that the best thing to do in Beverly Hills costs nothing -- people watching.

"I like to sit down with a cup of coffee and watch the people go by," he says. "They could be tourists, they could be locals, they could be rap stars. This is a great way to spend an afternoon."

Or an evening, during BOLD.

We brought our USA TODAY cameras to the first evening of BOLD and roamed the streets for other shots as well, including the iconic and really large palm trees, the stars of the silver screen--the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and the iconic City Hall. See the slideshow above for our 60 plus photos of Beverly Hills.

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The Hollywood sign on Mount Lee in Los Angeles is one of the most photographed tourist attractions in Los Angeles. In this gallery, Jefferson Graham shows you the sign, as seen from the Mount Lee view, Lake Hollywood Park and the Griffith Park hike that takes you to the back of the Hollywood sign.
Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

Signs tell tourists they can't hike to the sign, but the sign isn't what it seems. Tourists are allowed to hike to view the sign, but not allowed to hike to the actual letters.
Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

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The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles shows a different side of an L.A. visit, a few miles away from tony Disney Hall and upscale museums. The district touts over 100 murals and street art, 40 independent galleries and a bustling foodie scene. Mural by artist Tristan Eden.
Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY

Art on the side of the American Hotel in the downtown L.A. Arts District. Rooms start at around $100 a night, with shared bath, at the hotel, which has encouraged local artists to use its walls to express themselves. This mural is by Peter Greco
Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY